Decluttering sounds about as fun as finding a parking space in central London on a Saturday afternoon. You know you need to do it, but the idea of tackling your entire home feels like signing up for a marathon you never trained for.
But you don’t have to clear out all the clutter in one weekend. Sometimes, all it takes is 30 minutes and a bit of focus to make a real difference.
So, keep reading for ten quick wins that’ll make your home feel less like a storage unit.
1. Start with Your Entryway
Your front door area is basically the trailer for your home. So, if you have shoes piled up like a small mountain range and coats draped over every available surface, your entryway can end up looking neglected and give a bad first impression.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and start by clearing the floor. Pop your shoes onto a rack or basket, hang up your coats properly, and deal with any parcels that have been sitting there since last week.
Then, hoover or sweep the floors and wipe down the mirrors and door handles. You’ll be amazed at how much more welcoming your entrance feels when the clutter isn’t doing all the talking.
2. Tackle One Kitchen Surface at a Time
Kitchen counters have a special talent for attracting clutter. Mail, keys, shopping bags, and random gadgets you used once three months ago all end up here.
Instead of trying to tackle your entire kitchen, focus on one surface. For example, you can pick your main prep area or the counter near the kettle.
Clear off everything that doesn’t belong there. That blender you haven’t touched since last month? Find it a new home in a cupboard. Then, once the surface is clear, wipe it down.
If your kitchen has reached the point where you can barely find space to make a cup of tea, and you’re too swamped to deal with it yourself, this is exactly when high-end cleaning services earn their keep. But if you’ve got 30 minutes to spare, you can sort this yourself.
3. Sort Your Bathroom Cabinet
If opening your bathroom cabinet sets off an avalanche, you’re not the only one. We’ve all been there, watching bottles tumble out like they’re auditioning for a low-budget action film.
Pull everything out and be honest about what you actually use. That face cream from 2019 and the shampoo you hated after the first wash? It’s time to let them go.
While you’re at it, check expiry dates on skincare and medicines. Most people hoard things ‘just in case,’ but expired products won’t do you any favours in the long run.
Finally, group similar items together, and put your daily essentials at eye level where you can grab them without thinking.
4. Give Your Wardrobe a Reality Check
Your wardrobe likely contains clothes you no longer wear, including that pair of jeans you swear you’ll fit into again and the jumper that looked better in the shop.
So, set your timer and pull out anything you haven’t worn in the past year. If it doesn’t fit, doesn’t suit you, or makes you feel like you’re wearing a potato sack, it’s time to move on.
Create three piles: keep, donate, and bin. Fold or hang the items you’ll keep properly, then organise them by type or colour.
Trust us, your morning routine will be way smoother when you don’t have to wrestle with tangled hangers at 7 a.m.
5. Reclaim Your Desk
Whether you work from home or only use your desk occasionally, it’s probably harbouring more chaos than you’d like to admit.
Clear off everything and lay it all out. To make it easier for yourself, sort your documents into three categories: action needed, file away, and recycle.
It’s also a good idea to create a simple system for incoming papers so they don’t pile up again. Use a tray for anything that needs action, a folder for documents worth keeping, and a bin for everything else.
Wipe down the surface once it’s clear, then only put back what you use regularly. That mug collection can be stored elsewhere.
6. Conquer the Junk Drawer
Every home has a drawer where odd batteries, old receipts, spare keys, and broken pens end up.
To fix this, empty the entire drawer onto a table, including that sticky thing you can’t identify at the back.
Throw away anything broken, expired, or no longer useful. If you don’t know what it is or where it came from, chances are you don’t need it.
Then, use small containers or dividers to create zones within the drawer. Keep batteries in one section, pens in another, and useful bits and bobs in a third. This way, you’ll be able to find what you need at a glance.
7. Streamline Your Living Room
Your living room is one of the busiest spaces in your home, which makes it a magnet for clutter.
Do a quick lap of the room and remove anything that doesn’t belong. Mugs, plates, random post, and toys all need to go back to their proper storage spaces.
Once the surfaces are clear, dust them quickly and hoover the high-traffic areas. Even just going over the centre of the room will make a noticeable difference.
For that finishing touch, straighten the cushions, fold the throws, and deal with any rogue remote controls that have migrated under the sofa.
8. Organise Your Bookshelves
Bookshelves have a habit of attracting all sorts of stray items. So, by now, your books may be sharing space with old receipts, random ornaments, and things you meant to sort out weeks ago.
Remove everything that isn’t a book or a deliberate decorative item. Once the shelves are clear, wipe them with a microfibre cloth and a suitable cleaner to remove dust.
After you’re done, organise your books in a way that makes sense to you, whether that’s by genre, colour, or size. There’s no wrong answer here, as long as it looks intentional.
9. Refresh Your Linen Cupboard
Linen cupboards have a habit of becoming overstuffed, with neatly folded items somehow ending up crumpled again.
Start by taking everything out and deciding what you actually use. Those threadbare towels and worn-out bedding have earned their retirement.
Next, refold what’s left and stack items by category. Keep your towels and bedding together, and push seasonal pieces to the back.
If you want to take it a step further, fold your towels and sheets into uniform sizes to maximise space and keep the stacks from collapsing. It’ll also make it easier to rotate items when needed.
10. Clear Out Your Fridge
Your fridge can quickly fill up with forgotten food, and that curry from last week is probably past its best.
Go shelf by shelf, checking dates and clearing out anything that’s been there for too long. When in doubt, chuck it out.
Wipe down each shelf as you go with an antibacterial cleaner. This is especially important after dealing with anything that’s expired or leaking.
Last but not least, reorganise the shelves as you put things back, grouping similar items together. It’ll make things infinitely easier the next time you’re making a cuppa and need milk.
Conclusion
You don’t need a full reset or a free weekend to get your home back on track. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a home that feels cleaner and significantly less cluttered.
Of course, you don’t have to tackle all ten in one go. Pick the task that’s been bothering you the most, set a timer, and get started. You’ll be done in time to get back to your favourite show without missing a thing.
